Sustainable Development Goal 2

Sustainable Development Goal 2. Also known as **Zero Hunger**, it is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015. The goal aims to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, ensuring access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food for all people year-round. It promotes sustainable agriculture, supports small-scale farmers, and seeks to maintain the genetic diversity of seeds and plants.

Overview

SDG 2 builds upon the earlier Millennium Development Goals, which aimed to halve the proportion of people suffering from hunger. The goal is intrinsically linked to other global agendas, including the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Key UN agencies leading this effort include the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The vision encompasses not just calorie sufficiency but also nutritional quality, addressing issues like stunting and wasting in children, as well as obesity in adults.

Targets and indicators

The goal is broken into eight specific targets, measured by 14 indicators. Target 2.1 focuses on ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all, with indicators tracking the prevalence of undernourishment and moderate or severe food insecurity. Target 2.2 aims to end all forms of malnutrition, particularly for children under five, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and older persons. Target 2.3 seeks to double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, including through secure access to land and other resources. Other targets address sustainable food production systems (2.4), maintaining genetic diversity in seeds and livestock (2.5), investing in rural infrastructure and agricultural research (2.A), correcting trade restrictions in world agricultural markets (2.B), and ensuring stable food commodity markets (2.C). These indicators are monitored by the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators.

Progress and challenges

Global progress has been uneven and severely impacted by events like the COVID-19 pandemic, the War in Ukraine, and escalating climate change. According to reports from the FAO, the number of undernourished people rose significantly after 2019, reversing decades of gradual improvement. Regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia face the greatest challenges, with conflicts in places like Yemen and the Sudan exacerbating food crises. Challenges include price volatility for staples, loss of arable land due to desertification, and economic shocks that reduce household purchasing power. The 2022 Global Food Crisis highlighted the fragility of the global food system.

Initiatives and implementation

Implementation involves multi-stakeholder partnerships. Major global initiatives include the Scaling Up Nutrition movement and the Food Systems Summit convened by the UN Secretary-General. Financial mechanisms like the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program provide funding. On the ground, programs often involve NGOs such as Action Against Hunger and research bodies like the CGIAR system, which develops resilient crop varieties. National governments align policies through frameworks like the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme. The private sector also engages through platforms like the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Monitoring and reports

Primary monitoring is conducted through the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which reviews voluntary national reviews from member states. Key reporting publications include the annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report jointly produced by the FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the World Food Programme. The Sustainable Development Solutions Network also publishes the annual SDG Index and Dashboards Report, which tracks country-level performance. Data is compiled from household surveys, satellite imagery from NASA, and market information systems.

Category:Sustainable Development Goals Category:United Nations documents Category:2015 in the environment